


What if it was in space?

by Psychiatrylukanthropos



Series: In Another Universe [2]
Category: Altered Carbon (TV), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bottom Midoriya Izuku, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug, Multiverse, One Shot, Outer Space, Post-Canon, Pure Midoriya Izuku, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:08:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22155280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psychiatrylukanthropos/pseuds/Psychiatrylukanthropos
Summary: In which they are heroes all the same but the only difference is they are in space. Izuku Midoriya is stranded and cold and desperately needs a hug but can't physically ask for one even though he's freezing.
Series: In Another Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594738
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	What if it was in space?

It was right after their battle. When they were all exhausted and were getting ready to wormhole back home for some much-needed rest that they were ambushed and they were all split up and blasted away in all directions. Maybe if they hadn’t been so quick to lower their guard they wouldn’t all be stuck in different planets with no way of knowing where they or everyone ended up or even how to regroup and get back home. 

But when they are stranded in what the envoy assumes is an ice giant there’s little else that can be done. 

There’s nothing but frozen wasteland for miles and the air, though relatively calm at the moment, still nips mercilessly at their skin. Thank Psychasect for specifically building her for the cold. If it weren’t for that and all the extra training and acclimatisation she’d be in the same level of danger as the shivering human next to her. 

Unfortunately for him, that also means she doesn’t quite relate to being so wary of the cold weather and while he does his best to keep up and match her stoicism in a new unfamiliar terrain she can clearly see the involuntary shivers and the way he glances around nervously whenever he thinks she’s not looking. 

Right after crash landing in the icy plain without any protection and lying unconscious for a little too long the windchill gave them a rather unpleasant wake-up call, which jolted them right up from there and pushed them to move around in an effort to warm up. They had been walking around for hours now. Hoping against all odds that there might be something or someone out there, a hidden winter settlement maybe, or at the very least an abandoned ship they could perhaps tinker with until they got the radio working so they could call for rescue. Anything to keep them safe fro the winds, even if it’s only for a few hours but no such luck so far. 

Any envoy should be able to detect signs of life within miles even if they were dropped off in the middle of nowhere, whether it be tracks, scents, sounds or even the subtlest of clues, an envoy would pick up on and find eventually. Or even rely on their ingenious but utterly crazy wits and battle conditioning to find a way out in _any_ situation. They were all built with this basic survival instinct, being really valuable experiments and all meant they couldn’t afford to get lost and risk letting their bodies by enemies of the UN. An envoy should be able to find a way out of here, and yet here they are still, with no way out and close to no chance of rescue. All she can do is keep sulking as they explore the tundra, and she’s supposed to be an envoy? What a goddamn joke. 

Wouldn’t they be faring better if she actually embodied everything people had ever described an envoy should be? Murderous and violent tendencies aside, she imagines they certainly would be. 

A gust of wind picks up and Izuku’s entire body is suddenly wracked by a violent shiver. He can’t hide it anymore -never did in the first place- but he’s accepted it now, and he goes on to rub up and down the length of his arms hoping to suppress the cold the smallest bit. 

They weren’t in their space gear, after all, just their regular battle suits which weren’t intended for this weather. Not like they could have known and prepared for this situation, but it would be nicer if they weren’t stuck here with only the clothes on their back. 

It’s not terrible by any means. He can though through it, for now, and he has no problem keeping up with his taller friend other than the significant length in their strides, which again is just like usual. Izuku only wishes he had an extra sweatshirt, or two… or seven. Maybe even a hat and some mittens… a fluffy scarf would be nice too. The thickest, softest, fluffiest scarf he could get his hands on.

He suddenly stops when he notices almost too late that he was about to bump into the only other person around for miles. Maybe he’s starting to get a little delirious. Hopefully, it’s not going to get worse. At least she didn’t notice or seemed to mind and turned to speak with her usual resting Taika face, though it’s always hard to figure out what she’s thinking and he briefly wonders if it would be possible to figure her out if he were an envoy too.

“There’s nothing here, not for miles. Maybe not even on the whole planet if the weather is like this all around.” it wouldn’t be surprising given the sheer number of uninhabited ice giants in most solar systems so the possibility of landing on one if travelled at random is always very high. Still doesn’t fail to lower his spirits even more as his overactive mind begins to play out all the possible outcomes with the limited options they have, and they aren’t very good. 

Before he sinks even deeper in his pool of nihilistic mumbles and despair she interjects again, “We should find shelter if we can,” She says staring pointedly at a large cloud rolling ominously toward them, “-hard to say if we’ll survive a storm out here.” She immediately turns and continues walking quickly him following only a moment after, but her comment did the opposite of what she intended, because if _she’s_ not certain she would survive a storm here then his very much normal human body has even fewer chances. 

Oh, how he wishes he could embody a Taiyaki and sit in a microwave for a few minutes.

  
  
  


If the envoy had to guess she would say it’s about -17 degrees out there, which really it’s not bad, that’s within regular Earth temperature range. But add in the windchill and the fact that it’s raining hail the size of golf balls, _sideways_ , means taking refuge is really their best option at the moment. Which, thankfully, they did right as the storm really picked up. Had they found this small icy cave a minute or two later then Deku would be in serious trouble. 

Sure, he’s older now and has put on even more mass but neither his biology or his quirk gives him an edge in extreme weather conditions. So here they both are, sitting away from each other in complete silence aside from the occasional shivers and the constant howling of the wind. 

They start making idle conversation after a while, nothing too deep and while it seems odd for the two friends they can’t help the mood they are stuck in. The looming thought that help might not get there on time (if at all) makes them quieter and than usual. Not a crazy uncommon thing for Taika. But for Midoriya at least, who usually has no problem doing most of the talking, it’s starting to get very awkward; but then again, the cold affecting his coordination and thought process really isn’t helping his case either. 

They had a couple of snack bars and a little water between them. Not much, for sure, but it’s something at the very least. It’s like their hope of getting rescued. Having a little is better than none at all. 

Though it has stopped hailing for a while, the storm is still going on strong by the time the sky starts to get darker. And as the sun recedes into the horizon the temperature drops even lower, chilling to the bone and leaving them wondering if they will both make it through the night. 

“I.. wish we could start a fire…” Midoriya speaks after a while, letting out a dense puff of chilled air with every word and shivering constantly as he hugs himself hoping to contain his own body heat. “It's probably going to get worse at night. _Much_ worse. This is bad, this is really bad!” It seems he’s finally cracked. This whole time he had tried his best to remain positive. Whether it was to reassure her or himself is up for debate, but he always makes it a point to keep smiling and look on the bright side. A tactic to remain in high spirits and stay motivated to try harder that had never failed him. Not until now. 

“If we had Yaoyorozu, or Todoroki or even _Kacchan_ then _maybe_ we’d have better chances-”. He scratches at his head furiously as if hoping the act will somehow dislodge a good idea from his confused brain. He looks between his friend and himself, gaze despondent and tired, he’s just so tired, “But it’s just _us_ … this is not- I didn’t..” He sighs, making a bigger puff of air before looking right at her eyes, knowing it’s an action that might make her uneasy and yet feeling so desperate he hopes she’ll understand, “This isn’t how I wanted things to end.” 

Of course, it wasn’t. He was still so young, so full of life and ready to take on anything. Not to mention he had been given a once in a lifetime opportunity to save and protect, to be the next symbol of peace for all across the galaxy and yet… here he is. Giving up in a small hole on a desolate planet located who knows where exactly in the entire universe. Just days ago he had felt like he could fight an entire armada, and he did. Now? He was about to be killed by a restriction he never even considered. The weather. 

Just looking at his face, especially his eyes, Taika could almost see the dark turn his thoughts had taken. Reading most humans is quite simple, years of training and all, but Midoriya always made it extremely easy. That’s probably one of the reasons she’s always so calm around him. He’s cheerful and earnest, not a spiteful bone in his body and hardly a liar. So honest and transparent. So much of what she wishes she could be if it weren’t for her lineage. And he has so much to offer this universe, even more than anyone else. That is why she made that promise decades ago, long before she even knew him well, his destiny is bigger than any one person it is imperative that she makes sure he’s able to get there in the first place. 

The brightest beacon in the dark empty space. She’d die before she lets that light be snuffed out.

She removes a heating pad she had tucked underneath her arm so it would warm-up and gets close enough to hand it to him, hoping it would be enough for the moment until she comes back. “Here, take this. It will keep you warm for a while, hopefully, long enough for me to get a fire going.”

He had hesitantly grabbed the heating pad, unsure if it was ok for him to have until she finished that sentence. Then his gratefulness instantly morphed into worry. “W-what?! You can’t go out there by yourself!” he says, nearly shoving the heating pad right back at her, as if saying he won’t accept either of her options. 

“I spent the better part of my childhood in the northern hemispheres, Deku. I know what I’m doing. If you want to help then help by staying alive and take what is offered.” She gives the heating pad back to him more decisively this time. Mind made up, she’s going out whether he takes it or not, so he might as well stay as warm as he can. 

But he’s still not happy about this. 

“Thanks, Kitty.” He throws in one last jab at her, knowing it never fails to make her bristle and slightly annoyed but she won’t despise him for it as she would anyone else. The most she does is squint judgmentally at him but proceeds to walk away, “Please be careful.” his cheeky grin falters as she nears the exit of the cave, he’s very aware that out of everybody he knows, she’s the best equipped for survival in harsh terrains, but he will still worry for his friends (a trait he most likely gets from his mother) and that includes one very tall cat. 

“Don’t worry. Cruel weather and uncharted territory? it’ll be just like old times for me.” Those are her last words before she steps out, figure disappearing soon after due to the dense fog and he’s left alone with a warm heating pad that faintly smells like her. 

  
  
  
  


She returned a while after. When the sun had settled and the warmth from the heating pad was no longer enough to keep him from violently shivering. She nearly scared him to death, though, since her old habit of suddenly popping out of nowhere has never changed so when a hulking mass that suddenly entered his vision the sight nearly finished what the cold hadn’t yet. 

“Relax, it’s just me.” She spoke, not a very good attempt at reassurance but it’s the best she can do. She steps closer and places the two armfuls of lumber she had gathered in a corner before grabbing a smaller bunch and arranging it at the centre of the cave. 

“Y-yeah, sorry… I guess I’ll never get used to that.” heart still hammering, he watches her kneel by the pit, fishing out a lighter from her pockets before glancing at him. 

“Do you have a piece of paper?” It took his brain a whole two moments before he registered what she just said and then proceeding to fumble for another one as he muttered and checked around his pockets. Ah, yes he did have a piece of paper. It had originally been used to write important coordinates (some of which were still useful) but ended up mostly as a doodle sheet for whenever he was bored (they were probably his best yet and they just had to be on discard paper) and it was a pity to lose it forever but he’d much prefer to be warm right now. 

She walks to him and takes it uttering a quick ‘thanks’ before lighting it, using it to thaw out a log and set it on fire. The others thawed out quickly after that and she waved at him to get closer. 

Now he had never been so thankful for some extra warmth as he was at that moment. He sorta wishes he could lie right on it along with the other logs if it would warm him up faster. That won’t end well, though, so he makes do with simply holding his hands up and getting as close to the fire as he can. 

He opens his eyes after a few minutes and finds Tai sitting right across from him, tail curled up around her legs and glowing eyes staring out into the night. “Thank you for this, I got a little worried for a while but this is so much better.” They both know that saying he worried a _little_ is a _huge_ understatement but choose not to comment on it. 

“You know there’s a forest, about 5 miles east from here,” she says, never removing her eyes from the same stop outside. “I think this planet has seasons, just like earth, but they’re very really extreme. Or at least winter is since at some point it was warm enough for those trees to thrive.” the ‘lucky for us’ remains unsaid given that if they also happened to be so unlucky they ended up here in the first place.

“I have three packs of jerky left, what about you?”

“Oh, uh… two granola bars and a Snickers.”

“Hm, Snickers are good.”

“You can’t eat chocolate, how would you know?”

“They smell good and I can practically see your brain slamming the serotonin button when you eat one.” 

He laughs, enjoying the light moment of easy banter between the two while she just breathes out through her nose and slow blinks at him, a cat’s version of a smile as he’s come to learn (not that he had to research what it meant and any point of his life, ever) and they both take out one of their respective snacks to eat. 

He’s grateful for the new atmosphere and wishes it would stay like this for longer, but he can’t help the creeping thoughts in his mind. He just wishes he could at least know-

“You’re wishing we knew if the others are ok.” right, his expression is as transparent as always. She’s absolutely right, of course, but that’s not all.

“Not just if they are ok. I’d like to know if they’re stuck somewhere like us, if they need help, if they’re even…”

“They have to be, if I haven’t been able to get rid of them in all these years then they certainly won’t die from being stranded in a few hours.” 

He pauses for a while, the off-handed compliment immediately makes him think of his childhood friend which was probably her intention. Fiery and resilient, he would definitely try to fight a storm if it stood on his way so wherever he is, he must be fine. Yeah. He’s probably out there wondering why the ‘stupid Deku’ and ‘mangy cat’ haven’t shown up to annoy him yet. 

He’d love to do just that right now, “They must be wondering where we are, but we can’t do anything because we’re trapped here.” 

Her own thoughts are pretty similar, but envoys were built to persevere. To _finish the mission_ no matter what stands in the way. So she tentatively reaches out to him, warm hand resting on his forearm shocks him out of his funk for a moment, and she shares one of the most important lessons she learned at Psychasect. The one she always repeats to herself in dark times like these.

“No, Deku. We are not trapped. We are waiting.” Simple words at first glance, but experience will teach you the meaning they hold. That even when you are cornered and there seems to be no way out, if you are patient then said exit will eventually show itself. 

Her methods of comfort are never conventional by any means, but he can see she’s trying her best for him which is honestly more than he could ask for. 

She later suggests he rests to conserve energy, also because their ‘dinner’ wasn’t satisfying enough but there’s not much they can do about that one, so he simply curls up as close to the fire while also maintaining a safe distance and wishes to every star in the galaxy that rescue finds them soon.

  
  


Several hours later, when the envoy has returned from a second run for more firewood -courtesy of the continuously dropping temperature and the high chances of yet another storm- she sees him shivering, even in his sleep, and he’s significantly paler than before, not a good thing to see.

She stands there for a moment. Deliberating. It wouldn’t surprise her if the night only got worse from now, and if it did, even being right by the fire won’t be enough. 

She closes her eyes and sighs, guessing it can’t be helped. So she walks up and kneels right by him, pressing her fingers against his neck to check on his pulse and temperature. It’s weak and slow, even for someone who is sleeping, but it’s not close to fatal yet. Thankfully. 

He’s definitely asleep, but even if he weren’t, surely he wouldn’t mind. It’s not like he’s never seen the state the skin she covers all the time is in, even though she does everything within her power to keep it hidden at all times. His stupidly big and observant eyes still didn’t miss it. So she quickly undoes all the straps, taking off the extra belts and pouches until the only thing left is the large zipper going down all the way from her neck to remove her thick jacket and place it on him. 

It’s still warm and should provide extra protection for him. But she still has to close it around him properly. Well, she tries but clearly can’t do it without waking him up, only briefly though, since he passed out again around the same time she was zipping it closed. Not before letting out a few confused mumbles that she couldn’t decipher even with her big ears. The jacket was a little loose on him and the sleeves were too long but that’s fine, she figured the extra fabric being tucked in would trap more air and keep him warmer, not to mention it’s uncharacteristically cute, even for her. 

She’d pat him twice and leave him be in order to tend the fire pit for a moment and try to get some shut-eye herself. 

  
  
  


Izuku had no way to gauge the temperature in his state but he’s pretty sure it must be somewhere close to like -100! He couldn’t even sleep from constant shivers and the chattering of his teeth how painful the cold had gotten. He’s even afraid of looking down at his own fingers in fear that they’ll look as bad as he imagines. Every joint is stiff and every limb feels numb, and the only movement he’s able to do at the moment is the completely involuntary movement his body makes in reaction to the cold. But he’s pretty sure vibrating to get warm isn’t working, it’s pretty irritating and exhausting, and he’d much prefer it stopped.

He has awkwardly shimmied closer and closer to the flame but it’s still impossible to stay warm. Maybe he should ask Tai if she would tie him to a log and rotate him above the fire like a rotisserie chicken. That might work. And it honestly sounds like a good idea to his disoriented brain. Roasting a little would be fine too. 

And that incredibly fluffy scarf he had fantasised about earlier appeared again in his dream. It had been very deliciously warm when he felt two hands wrap it so very gently around him, and it had made him so happy he shily muttered something along the lines of “Thank you, I owe you my life” but it had been buried underneath said scarf as he pulled it even closer and covered half his face. 

A wonderful dream which he had been so rudely woken up from by… he’s not even sure by what now but whatever it was had successfully made him so mad he couldn’t fall back asleep right away. 

A while after simmering in that state, completely done with everything and very much infuriated to the point he wondered why in the world he was raging so much. He’s pretty sure he must look like Kacchan (impossible) so he takes a long deep breath as best he can and opens his eyes. 

Aside from the cracking of the firepit and the whooshing winds from outside this cave was dead silent. That was slightly unnerving. Not that it should be, I mean, Tai is known for being very quiet… maybe she’s asleep? He looks around quickly spotting her in the corner by his feet and immediately whips his eyes away. Jesus Christ why isn’t she wearing her jacket right now ?? Is she _trying_ to freeze to death or to just flex on him? Where’s her- oh. 

Her jacket is snugly wrapped around him, that explains it. Wondering when exactly she even managed to put it on him he looks back at her, lying down and facing away from him so aside from the sports bra he can see the full expanse of her back and shoulders and the damaged skin all over.

Over the years in which they have gained each other’s trust and developed a good friendship, he has only seen short glimpses of her scars here and there. Not because she was ashamed of them, she claimed, but because it’s not something other’s need to see. He imagines it must have something to do with her own dignity and how it would signify to others how it possible to hurt an envoy despite all the tales spoken about them. He’s certainly no envoy, so he could never understand, but he does know envoys have one hell of a reputation and consequentially Taika has some very large shoes to fill. 

Izuku has never seen all the scars this closely, and he’s honestly not sure how to feel about it now. Each vertebra is visible, not only by the way it sticks out but also by the dark splotch top. That’s just one of the many things on display. So many burns and bites and cuts litter her back to the point where her skin must be very coarse, he wonders if it’s as rough to the touch as it looks. Maybe even more? Or maybe it’s not as bad and it’s bumpy but still sort of soft? Would she bite his hand off if he tried? Probably. As curious as he suddenly became he still won’t risk a limb for it. 

...Maybe he could just ask? She has always insisted he speak his mind since lying or trying to hide anything from her never works and has mentioned multiple times that if he has questions all he has to do is ask, that it’s better he hears it from her rather than other people who would purposefully repeat all the wrong information they’ve heard from the media who loves to antagonise envoys. He could just ask and the worst she’ll say is no probably, and that would be it so maybe he woul- No. no why in the world is he even entertaining the idea? His mind is really messing with him right now. _Again._

She doesn’t like to be touched. He _knows_ that and he knows _why,_ it’s been made clear without her needing to say anything and he doesn’t _need_ to touch her in the first place. A random, utterly ridiculous thought, he decides to label it as such and throw it down the thought blender and decides to close his eyes and actually fall asleep this time. 

Except it doesn’t work and for another hour or so he remains there, colder and more irritated thanks to his exhaustion. It’s a wonder how he can’t even manage to sleep when he’s sooo so tired. Just let him sleep universe, please please, let him sleep. He would much rather be unconscious like his friend than be alone with his thoughts for this long in this horrible scenario. He would do anything. Literally anything. He’d promise to do more, to BE more if he would get out of here. He doesn’t want to think of how much he will be disappointing everyone. All his friends, and teachers and fans, all the people who look up to him and rely on him to be safe, to live their lives with great smiles in their faces and hope in their hearts. He doesn’t want to think of All Might and how much he would fail him by dying out here when he’s still in his prime and not even able to ensure One For All lives on. He doesn’t want to think about it for a second longer.

Taika, ever the light sleeper, is immediately alert when she hears sniffling coming from behind. There’s no danger around so waking up suddenly was confusing for a few seconds until she turned around and saw a very distressed, hunched over and crying Deku. 

Pale face all scrunched up and cheeks wet from the sudden waterworks. But that’s not what kicked her instincts into high gear. Sure seeing him crying wasn’t pleasant, though he did it a lot, but this much genuine pain was a rare occasion. However, the thing that sticks out to her the most is how eerily calm and still he’s getting, almost as if his body is accepting defeat and he’s been made aware of his impending doom. 

It’s the advanced stage of hypothermia. Or getting there, at least.

She’d hoped the jacket, heating pad and fire pit would be enough, but clearly, it wasn’t and he’s running out of time. Quickly sitting up and observing him more closely she could see even the falling tears were building up frost on his face. How incredibly stupid and careless and inattentive, for Thor’s sake, how could she not notice it was _this bad sooner._

Even calling out his name a few times barely gathers his attention for a moment, but aside from a slight whimper, he can’t physically say anything more. 

What else can she do? She’s already given him everything she has to keep warm. She really should have pressed Halla to finish that heater much sooner, not that it was her fault but it would have been really handy now. 

“Deku.” he sounds a weak hum of acknowledgement. At least he’s trying to stay lucid. 

“I’m sorry,” he says after a while, in the smallest whisper he still struggles to manage but knows she won’t have a problem hearing. 

“What for, Deku?”

“I’m sorry that I can’t be strong right now.” Like you always have been, even right now when anyone else would be defeated, “I can’t keep smiling.” To reassure you like he always does, like All Might told him he should but his face is all numb, “I can’t even promise rescue will get us out of here, or at least you. I- I just.. I’m so sorry.” Mostly to himself and how much he failed, he might leave her here all alone and instead of reassuring her he’s a sobbing mess wracked with grief and self-pity. 

“Well, don’t be. None of it was your fault and hypothermia here is inevitable.” A logical response on par with Aizawa’s deadpan mannerisms which would be humorous in any other situation, but right now? Not what he wants to hear.

“Anyway… I hope .. you can get out. And keep going. Keep saving people. At least if the galaxy doesn't lose one more hero... then everyone will be all right”

“I’m not a hero, Deku.” not like him, and probably never will be, “I’m not the one who deserves to get out of here. You can do all of those things too, and do it better even.”

“You don’t think so, but you are. At least to me, you are. You are a hero Tai, you deserve to live too.” If his face didn’t hurt he would smile for her. She’s not just ‘an envoy’ she’s a good person -as much as she’d like to refute- and a good friend too. One he started looking up to back when he was younger despite being aloof and emotionally unavailable. Much like Todoroki. He may or may not have a few perhaps, not so normal friends, but he wouldn’t change them for anything. 

“Deku you’re freezing.” If he could, she’s pretty sure he would sit upright and give her the most sarcastic ‘really?’ look ever, but she can’t help being the worst, most awkward thing when it comes to comforting your friends. So of course, she doesn’t even try and instead chooses to point out the obvious, in hindsight, she probably should have just stayed quiet. There’s no real need to remind him of his impending demise. 

This is why she actively chooses not to speak a lot.

But he’s not upset. Actually, he’s already aware that she doesn’t have much experience with genuine comfort and is therefore made very uncomfortable by it. It’s just one of her little quirks that can’t be helped so he doesn’t judge her on it. Not too hard. 

It’s one of the many things Deku noticed over time. Taika won’t lie to you -claiming she doesn’t care enough to bother with that- she won’t tell you that you’re going to be ok if she knows you won’t be, and won’t deceive you with false hope and reassurance if it won’t help. Even her friends. No, especially her friends, because they are not fools and as adults, it’s better they get real and know the truth. Even if it hurts.

Deku doesn’t necessarily agree, but he knows where she’s coming from, and he’s smart enough to understand why she’s like this.

When both, his breathing and heart rate continue getting even slower she has to make up her mind quickly. He has to live. He certainly cannot die here but most importantly, she doesn’t want him to. The whole universe is going to get screwed over if it takes out one of her few closest friends.

“Don’t move.” She breaks the silence after a while, immediately confusing him because it’s not like he could if he wanted to, what’s that supposed to mean? How and where would he move around- whah- Jesus christ what is she doing?!?

His wayward thoughts jerk to a stop when he suddenly feels her hands on his neck. Deku didn’t even hear her get up or move at all! That really surprised him! But that is quickly forgotten when a mouth comes close to his skin and blows warm air on it. Is he feeling chills again? His skin is just numb and very very confused. What is happening?

Taika is sitting right behind him, hovering close and bringing her hands up to his face to rub away the wetness with such care; almost as if she believes he’s extremely fragile right now, which she’s not wrong but it’s still strange coming from her. 

She’s rubbing his face gently, trying to spread in the warmth on his previously wet face first. Is this why she said that? She must be trying to save him right now and he’s in awe. It’s not that he expected her to sit there and watch him die, but he never would have imagined she would try this hard. He’s so deeply moved even in his confused, and half-conscious state, he is overwhelmed, and grateful, and elated. He would tell her that if he gets his jaw to move.

He’s very weak so she has to move fast. Lifting him so place his torso right on her thigh and arms she undoes the zip, peels off her jacket and then the top part of his own suit leaving him exposed but only for a second as she wraps her body around him and uses the extra clothing to cover the side she can’t cover with skin contact. Settling them both down so they’re essentially spooning, with her covering his back while the fire burns in front of him. One of her arms under his neck as they both hug him close, both her legs tangling with his and making sure his uncovered feet are always in contact with hers as well as coiling her long fluffy tail around them for maximum comfort. Her face rests right on his neck, meaning every deep exhale fans warm air on the side of his face. Deku can’t really process much more other than it being wonderful, and all-consuming, and _warm_. It’s so warm, he keeps chanting in his mind for a while. 

It’s warm, really really warm… Actually, it’s very hot, he eventually notices as the heat slowly builds over time, slowly bringing up his body temperature. It’s like being burrito wrapped with an electric blanket and being left to sit right in front of a fireplace, no wonder she’s been doing perfectly fine. 

“Give me your hands.” She spooks him with how sudden and close her voice is but his fingers are still cold so naturally, he obliges the moment her hands rise and open expectantly, clearly waiting for him to uncross his arms and bring his hands out, which he does eagerly if it will mean his blue fingers can be saved. 

She gets a little closer lifting her head over him and with his smaller hands cradled between hers she blows a few times gradually warming them up.

This whole situation is oddly intimate and tender. Something Izuku was until now convinced Taika was just entirely incapable of being. _Ever._ If someone had told him a week ago that he would be curled up by a fire pit with an envoy cuddling him from behind he would have told as politely as possible that they need help, and yet here he is. Maybe he’s imagining this in a hypothermia induced but really hardcore hallucination fabricated by his near-frozen brain, and _he’s_ the one that needs help. 

That thought is quickly disproved when Tai lets go of his hands so they can both curl up in their previous position. Holy heck this is very real. His mind had been pretty preoccupied before but it just now settled in that she’s here doing this for him even though this is quite possibly _the last thing_ she would do willingly. So why? He asks her, he thinks the answer should be obvious but he asks her anyway. 

“If I left you like that, and you died, the whole Deku squad would kick my ass and I doubt I’ll have the energy to fight them all when we get out of here.” He snorts and then laughs. The slight smile he can feel on her face lets him know those words were precisely said to elicit that response, they’re also half-true of course, because the Deku squad truly would never let her live it down but there’s no need to get into that because he’s going to be fine. They’re going to be fine and they’ll survive until rescue gets to them. 

“Thank you.” for the warmth and the new hope, and for everything really. That’s what he’d like to say, but he also knows he doesn’t need to because she can always read him like a book, so he simply says that and closes his eyes without fear this time, thanking the universe for listening.


End file.
